


Whiskey in the Jar

by enjolras_lexa



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Cynic Grantaire, Drink With Me, Drinking Songs, E/R - Freeform, Enjolras Was A Charming Young Man Who Was Capable Of Being Terrible, Enjolras-centric, Enjolras/Grantaire - Freeform, Grantaire being Grantaire, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Modern Era, Musician Grantaire, Romance, Singing, Song fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 08:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9115186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjolras_lexa/pseuds/enjolras_lexa
Summary: Enjolras is coerced into going out to a bar with Courfeyrac, only to find himself falling for the drunken singer Grantaire.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to this song earlier, and the lyrics immediately screamed Grantaire. 
> 
> This is my first time writing these two, so please be nice to me even if I get it wrong. 
> 
> Enjoy this short E/R oneshot!

Enjolras entered the bar, not without some apprehension. Normally he never drank or frequented bars of any kind, but Courfeyrac had insisted on going to this particular bar that night because a few drinking buddies of his were to sing there. It was their first gig ever, so they were both nervous and wanted a few friendly faces in the crowd when they performed. Enjolras owed Courf a favor, and everyone else already had plans that weren't studying at home alone, so that was that. 

The bar in question was dimly lit, which Enjolras supposed was less for effect and more likely due to several burnt out lightbulbs that no one had bothered to change. However, the candles on the tables were a nice touch, and the place was much cleaner than the dives Courfeyrac and his drinking friends usually went to. Enjolras resolved to ignore his trepidation and last the night, or at least a couple of songs. 

He and Courfeyrac ordered drinks (ice water for the former, while the latter took wine) and sat at a table close to the area that served as a small stage.

Enjolras shifted in his seat. Patience had never really been his forte. While he had an infinite capacity for working on and finishing an assignment or a project, waiting was a skill he had yet to acquire. Not wanting to appear rude, he started a short conversation with Courfeyrac. Well, more of a debate. Perhaps most people didn't talk about the pros and cons of doctor-assisted suicide on their nights out, but Enjolras really wasn't most people. Once started, a debate with him could go on for days, but mercifully for Courfeyrac (who was losing) the singers came onstage and the show began. 

There were two of them, a young woman and a young man, both with dark eyes and hair and both dressed in different shades of black and green, the latter holding a bottle, from which he sipped. Enjolras didn't really pay attention to what the woman was wearing, for the instant he clapped eyes on the man he was lost. 

The woman (Éponine, Courf supplied, though Enjolras had neither asked nor cared) began a sad love ballad, giving Enjolras plenty of time to observe the man who caught his attention. 

He was of medium height and build, with strong and firm-looking arms and chest. Enjolras' proximity to the makeshift stage permitted him to notice the man's hands, which were slightly callused and had marks of paint on them. His tight black jeans were also a little touched by paint, and perhaps ink, though it was hard to tell. He wore a plain white shirt and a vivid green hoodie overtop. His face wasn't particularly handsome, but Enjolras found his irregular features coupled with stubble-cloaked cheeks to be incredibly attractive. But by the time he had fully taken in the stranger's appearance, the man in question had noticed him staring. 

Embarrassed, Enjolras looked away, cheeks flushing at being caught openly gaping at a perfect stranger. Had he held the man's gaze, he might have noticed the awe-struck look on his face, for the singer thought Enjolras was the most beautiful man he'd ever seen. 

Enjolras turned to Courfeyrac, who had thankfully missed the interaction between himself and Courf's friend. 

"What's the singer's name?" Enjolras asked, trying not to appear too interested and failing miserably. 

"Éponine."

"No, the other one." 

"Grantaire," he replied. 

Enjolras barely had time to register the name, when Éponine's song ended and Grantaire's began.

"As I was goin' over the Cork and Kerry mountains  
I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin'  
I first produced my pistol and then produced my rapier  
I said stand and deliver or the devil he may take ya...."

He sang along with an acoustic guitar, his voice rich and dark, with enough roughness in it to send shivers up and down Enjolras' spine.  
The deeper voice so unlike his own clear one attracted him immediately. Though Enjolras had never had much of an opinion about art and music, and was usually much too clearheaded to fall for a stranger in a bar, this first impression of Grantaire was enough to change his tastes forever. 

"I took all of his money and it was a pretty penny  
I took all of his money yeah and I brought it home to Molly  
She swore that she loved me,  
no never would she leave me  
But the devil take that woman yeah for you know she tricked me easy

Musha ring dum a doo dum a da  
Whack for my daddy-o  
Whack for my daddy-o  
There's whiskey in the jar-o"

 

Grantaire sang the verses between intermittent swigs from the bottle of what Enjolras guessed was whiskey. The alcohol served to relax his stance and further roughened his voice. 

Though Enjolras immediately despised the drinking, which seemed for Grantaire to be a regular habit, he couldn't feel anything but attraction towards Grantaire himself, much as he tried to hide it. 

As Grantaire sang the next verse, Enjolras swore he was looking directly at him, throwing him a suggestive smirk, before giving himself fully to the the song and fairly growling out the last notes as the guitar faded. 

He passed the microphone to Éponine, taking a slug of his whiskey and exiting the stage. To Enjolras' horror, he came and sat down right next to him and Courfeyrac. 

Enjolras studied him covertly as he sipped his water. Grantaire and Courf took to talking while Éponine sang softly in the background. Strangely, his speaking voice was much less rough and growly than his singing voice, though it was just as rich and full. Grantaire glanced at Enjolras intermittently as Enjolras pretended to watch the stage. He thought Grantaire seemed strangely shy, for all he had grinned at him so boldly during his song. 

Enjolras joined in the conversation, if only to talk to Grantaire. When the subject of personal interests came up, Enjolras mentioned that he edited the student paper at the university the three of them attended. 

"Seriously?" Grantaire laughed, half amused, half incredulous. 

"Yes," Enjolras answered, on his guard again. 

"That paper is the most ridiculous thing I ever read. I can barely believe that Courf's part of it, let alone you. Do you really believe that what they say is even true, let alone possible?" 

The student newspaper had a reputation for being far left-wing, and proud of it. They defended mostly human rights and environmental issues, but always covered highly controversial topics, with a focus on making a difference and taking a stand for what you believe in. To hear Grantaire belittle his pride and joy was an instant slap in the face to Enjolras, who was the editor in chief. 

"We all believe in positive change, and that anyone can make a significant difference if they choose to," Enjolras shot back, turning in an seconds from touchy to passionate as he spoke. "All it takes is for one person to stand up for what matters, and it inspires those around them to do the same. We believe in fighting for what's right, and stamping out injustice wherever possible, or at the very least exposing it." 

"Those are fine words, but they defend a lost cause," Grantaire returned. Between the drinks and Enjolras' intoxicating presence, he couldn't stop himself from speaking, though he loathed himself immediately for criticizing Enjolras. 

"You can't seriously be denying that change is possible, when all evidence points to the contrary."

"If change does happen, it won't be because a few university students wrote an article about it. How you feel that you're making a difference is beyond my understanding, Apollo." 

Their banter escalated into an argument that was amusing to Grantaire and infuriating to Enjolras. Courfeyrac tried to calm them down, but when that failed was forced to escort them out. They bickered all the way to the door. 

They little thought that this first meeting would ever lead to anything other than fighting and disagreement, but that's another story.


End file.
